Buyer

Position overview

Range planning and category management

• Build seasonal category plans that balance supply routes, customer demand, margin, and store space; maintain a common OnePager range and store grading system.
• Manage SKU introductions, performance reviews, and planned exits; maintain the CUBES product hierarchy and accurate item, barcode, cost, price, and supplier data.
• Track trends, licences, competitors, and pricing, and act on market findings.

Buying and sourcing routes

• Plan and place ELC and Addo orders through TEAL, meeting order windows, lead times, franchise requirements, and brand standards; share local feedback and follow launch, recall, pricing, and presentation guidance.
• Select ALGT distribution lines and agree allocation, transfer cost, and availability; flag supply risks and pursue launches, exclusives, and promotional support.
• Manage direct sourcing from factories and trading companies from brief and samples through costing, negotiation, purchase order, approval, production, and shipment.
• Calculate landed costs, arrange product testing and pre-shipment inspection, address faults, and avoid infringing protected designs, logos, or trademarks; attend overseas trade fairs.
• Build UAE and Qatar supplier relationships; negotiate commercial terms and manage trials, concessions, and sale-or-return arrangements.

Pricing, stock, and budgets

• Set retail prices under agreed structures, maintain separate AED and QAR price files, plan promotions, approve qualifying price matches, and manage markdowns and clearance.
• Manage category gross margin and open-to-buy budgets; forecast demand and adjust orders to sales trends.
• Coordinate initial allocations, replenishment, and store transfers; monitor stock cover, best-seller availability, and aged stock.
• Plan opening ranges and stock for new stores, relocations, and refits with the Project Manager.

Compliance and reporting

• Ensure products meet UAE and Qatar safety and conformity rules, including toy safety certification, age warnings, and Arabic labelling; retain certificates, test reports, and supplier declarations.
• Lead recalls and withdrawals, monitor faulty and damaged returns, and seek supplier recovery where possible.
• Report weekly sales, margin, and stock by category and supply route; use the Top 50 report to identify and address opportunities and issues.
• Brief stores on ranges, key lines, and price changes; report the buying plan at monthly management reviews and visit stores to review range, availability, presentation, and customer feedback.

Requirements

• Build and manage the product range across four supply routes: TEAL wholesale, ALGT distribution, China direct sourcing, and local suppliers.
• Balance customer demand, sales and margin objectives, available store space, brand standards, and regional product safety requirements.
• Manage buying and sourcing processes, including supplier relationships, negotiation, forecasting, costing, and purchase orders.
• Ensure products meet UAE and Qatar product safety and conformity requirements before sale.
• Maintain accurate product hierarchy and item data in CUBES, including descriptions, barcodes, costs, prices, and supplier details.